Rematch in Round One: Coyotes look to take down Red Wings

It was a year go that the Phoenix Coyotes overcame drastic odds to not only make it into the playoffs; but to earn home ice advantage after starting training camp not even knowing whom would coach the desert dogs after ownership / management / coaching upheaval left the team in turmoil that it is still sorting out today.

A year ago the Detroit Red Wings were slowly getting healthy after one of (if not the) worst man games lost to injury seasons the team had ever seen. Hockeytown was looking at missing the playoffs and ending their consecutive playoff appearance streak at eighteen years.

One year ago the underdog Coyotes pushed the powerhouse Red Wings to a game seven; and then fell to the power of the mighty Winged Wheel in their home.

That was all a year ago.

This year the Red Wings are in their 20th consecutive playoff appearance while the Coyotes may still in legal turmoil over the future of the franchise the players put it all out there on the ice.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) night the Coyotes and the Red Wings will hit the ice in Hockeytown at 7:00 p.m. on Versus and it will all begin – again.

A highly motivated Phoenix is out to clear their name and avenge their loss in game seven last year. The team is slightly different from last year as they lost some and gained some in free agency and then again at the trade deadline they saw forward Scottie Upshall and defenseman Sami Lepisto head to Columbus for veteran defenseman Rostislav Klesla (and prospect Dane Byers). Back in January Phoenix traded defenseman Wojtek Wolski to the New York Rangers in return for veteran defenseman Michal Rozsival.

While the Coyotes have last years playoff experience to break down and learn from; and to motivate them to not fall to Red Wings again; they also have a revamped defensive core that will surely give Detroit a good run as their own defensive core is in shambles.

Red Wings Captain Nicklas Lidstrom (40) has never missed the playoffs in his NHL career (Icon SMI)

Detroit may have Captain Nicklas Lidstrom patrolling the blueline for the playoffs as he has for every year of his career; but with Niklas Kronwall still hit and miss in the line up rather than hitting (legally) people on the ice and the young and the young Jonathan Ericsson still slowly slipping down the effectiveness slope there are a lot of questions centered around the Red Wings defense:

Which Brian Rafalski will show up? Team USA Olympic Rafalski? Or the high turnover Rafalski? Is Niklas Kronwall going to be able to suit up and play effectively? Who will win out with the sixth defense spot? Veteran Ruslan Salei or rookie Jakub Kindl?

The last line of defense is your goaltender and there are questions for both teams on that front: Will Ilya Bryzgalov keep being rocksolid for the Coyotes and continue to be a thorn in the Winged Wheels offensive side? Can Jimmy Howard pull it together and perform like his rookie self from a year ago? Will Chris Osgood come off of Long Term Injury Reserved and have one last playoff performance?

Shane Doan/Photo by Elliot - Wikimedia Commons

Last year Phoenix lost their Captain Shane Doan to injury during the series; this year Detroit will start the series without Henrik Zetterberg.

Tune in tomorrow as the NHL playoffs kick off on Versus with the rematch of the post season. Phoenix will try to avenge last years first round game seven loss to Detroit just as the Red Wings will be out to show the hockey world they are back.

A lot to prove on both sides and you can get in on all the action:

Game 1: Wed., April 13 at 7 p.m. on VERSUS and CBC (HD) Game 2: Sat., April 16 at 1 p.m. on NBC (HD) and CBC (HD) Game 3: Mon., April 17 at 10:30 p.m. on CBC (HD) and VERSUS Game 4: Wed., April 20 at 10:30 p.m. on CBC (HD) and VERSUS Game 5*: Fri., April 22 at 7 p.m. on CBC (HD) and VERSUS Game 6*: Sun., April 24 at TBD on CBC (HD) Game 7*: Wed., April 27 at TBD on (CBC (HD)

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